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Fair Ticketing Alliance “delighted” that tough CMA enforcement action has encouraged reforms by secondary website platforms

  • Fair Ticketing Alliance offers “three cheers” for StubHub, GetMeIn! and Seatwave commitments to improve transparency for customers
  • But a big “boo” to Viagogo who appear yet to have addressed the concerns of the CMA
  • CMA enforcement action leads to welcome changes for live music and entertainment fans which the Fair Ticketing Alliance has been campaigning for

[LONDON, 25 April 2018] The Fair Ticketing Alliance (FTA), which brings together responsible secondary ticket operators, has today welcomed commitments from three of the four major secondary ticketing website platforms to comply fully with the law after enforcement action from the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA). The Alliance is very disappointed, however, that the other major platform, Viagogo has failed to address concerns raised by the regulator. One of the key objectives behind the creation of the Fair Ticketing Alliance was to campaign for “Government and regulatory bodies to ensure that secondary website platforms allow traders to comply fully with the law”.

Fair Ticketing Alliance member, Scot Tobias said:

“The Fair Ticketing Alliance is delighted with the swift action of StubHub, GetMeIn and Seatwave to improve transparency for customers following action by the Competition and Markets Authority. Undoubtedly, this will improve the experience of live music and entertainment fans using their sites and is precisely in line with what we have been calling for as traders.

“It’s disappointing, however, that not all secondary website platforms have followed suit. Our members have stopped listing tickets on certain sites who do not comply with everything set out by the CMA. We urge those sites to do so immediately.

“We want consumers to be able to make clear, informed decisions when buying tickets on the secondary market, and we welcome the CMA’s view that these changes will help people pick the best deals for them. The FTA supports a secondary marketplace that offers choice, trust and flexibility and we believe that today’s announcement is another BIG step in the right direction.”

The Fair Ticketing Alliance was launched to campaign for a fair, trustworthy and flexible ticket market that works for all live entertainment fans. The Alliance was set up by a group of responsible UK ticket traders representing a cross section of the industry. It comes in the wake of increasing market uncertainty which threatens the future of their mainly small, often family-run, businesses and the valuable service they provide to fans.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

More information about the Fair Ticketing Alliance can be found on its website: www.fairticketing.co.uk or by following us on Twitter: @FairTicketing

Media contact:
Pete Bowyer
press@fairticketing.co.uk
07740 913886